Killing Katniss
by MaiWad
Summary: Glimmer hates Katniss, more than anyone. After almost dying after the tracker jacker attack, she finally has a chance to kill her. But does she? ***Contains Glato***
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story is going to be a little different. Glimmer doesn't die during the Tracker Jacker Attack; instead Clove does. Now that we've got that cleared up, let's get on with the story!**

Glimmer was ready.

She'd waited weeks for this moment; though it felt like years. She was finally going to kill the Girl on Fire; Katniss Everdeen. Her hate for that girl was unbearable. She was beautiful. She was adored. She was perfect. And Glimmer resented it.

She raised her bow, and slotted her last arrow in place. Katniss sat, perched over the dead body which once was the girl from 11, unaware that her death was near. Glimmer tried to stay as silent as she could. She was hiding a behind a bush, but the wind made the leaves rustle, and blow in her face. But she couldn't let that distract her.

Glimmer wasn't known to have the best aim. But she earned a nine in training, so she wasn't terrible. But Katniss had earned an eleven, and she was known to have perfect aim.

If she missed, the arrow would fly past Katniss. Then she would see Glimmer. And Katniss wasn't just going to let Glimmer go.

Glimmer shook her head, clearing the thought. No, she wasn't going to get caught. She was going to kill Katniss, no matter what. She gripped tightly onto her bow, and prepared to aim. Gazing over to the left, Glimmer saw the dead body of Marvel, an arrow pierced into his neck. She let out a small cry. She was unaware that her District partner was dead. She bit her lip, and narrowed her eyes. Now Katniss had really done it.

Marvel wasn't just a District partner. He was a friend. The only person she knew before the Games. Marvel was funny, friendly- the only one who knew that she wasn't just a pretty face. Tears streamed down her pale face, and she wiped them swiftly with her elbow. Crying was a weakness, and she didn't want to be weak.

She bit her lip. She released a breath. Then released the arrow.

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Sorry that it's so short, I promise to make a longer chapter next time! Please review! Bye!**


	2. Chapter 2

The arrow soared through the air. Glimmer held her breath. The arrow was aimed at Katniss' stomach, but instead the wind carried it to the left. With one swift movement, the arrow pierced into the grass. Katniss gasped, as she saw the arrow three inches from her. She knew someone was here.

Glimmer froze. She didn't know what to do. Should she run? Should she hide? Instead, she stayed exactly were she was. Katniss scanned the area, carefully. Her eyes skipped Glimmer, much to Glimmer's relief. The two girls stayed silent, and the wind was the only audible sound.

Glimmer had no more arrows. She was weaponless. Katniss had at least five arrows attached to her back. Her bow was secured tightly in her hand, and Katniss was known to have perfect aim. She could kill Glimmer in an instant.

Her heart thumped rapidly in her chest. If only Glimmer had one more arrow. If only Glimmer could finally kill that girl. Then people would know that she wasn't just a pretty face.

She closed her eyes. If she was going to kill Katniss, she had to do it quickly. Whether she had weapons or not. She opened her eyes, and smirked. She had an idea. A surprise attack.

Katniss walked deeper and deeper into the woods. Glimmer was just about to run, until she saw Katniss return, holding flowers. She placed the flowers around the corpse of the girl from 11. Glimmer watched, transfixed by this small, but special act. She knew that the two were allies. But allies die, and you get over it. Looking closely, she could see that Katniss' face was wet with tears.  
For a moment, Glimmer had forgot where she was. Not wasting another minute, she tried to run towards her, but instead she was pulled back by a grip on her shoulders.

"Don't," the voice whispered. The voice was cold and gruff, yet she recognized it. Frozen, Glimmer watched as Katniss finally left the girl from 11, and went on her way.

The person turned to Glimmer, and Glimmer narrowed her eyes at him.

"Why didn't you let me go? I could have finished her. I could have." she said.

"With no weapons?" said Cato. "I'm sure you could have."

"I was planning a surprise attack. Sneak up behind her, and-"

"Yeah, well, remember what I said."

Glimmer sighed, and quoted his words; "'When we find her, I kill her. And no-one interferes.'"

"Clever girl." he nodded. "Now, come on. We've got to-"

"Marvel's dead."

"What?"

"Marvel's dead."

"Oh, well, I guess that it just narrows it down, huh."

"What?" Glimmer couldn't believe what he was saying. Was he really happy that Marvel died?

"Only one wins, Glimmer." noted Cato. "He was bound to die sometime."

Cato stood, and offered Glimmer's hand. Glimmer took it, and Cato guided her throughout the woods. The whole way Glimmer only had one thought. Only one wins. What would happen if Glimmer and Cato were the final two? Would she kill him? Would he kill her? No, he wouldn't kill her… Would he? Glimmer bit her lip. It wasn't impossible.

Cato set down beside the lake, and splashed water in his face. Glimmer sighed, and set her self down next to him. "Cato," she said.

"Hmm?"

"What if… What if we were the final two?" she blurted out.

Cato sighed. "Glimmer, let's just focus on planning to kill Katniss now."

Glimmer nodded, slowly. He hadn't answered her question. Or had he?

Glimmer slipped her shoes off, and then dipped her toes into the deep, cold water. She splashed her legs for a while. The lake wasn't exactly clean, but it was refreshing. She smiled, and Cato managed to smile back. His smile was unique; sweet and almost shy. His hair was soaking wet, and the wounds upon his forehead were healing. His eyes were a beautiful blue, that reflected in the sunlight. Glimmer had never noticed how beautiful he was before.

Her cheeks flushed as she remembered her place. She hadn't realised that she had been staring at him for so long. She dunked her hands into the water, and splashed her face to cool down. She didn't realise that she had used too much water, resulting in her hair being drowned in water. Cato almost laughed, earning a scowl from her.

"Go hunt for tributes, or something," she said, petting her hair.

"I'm happy right here, thanks."

Glimmer narrowed her eyes. "You're not funny, Cato."

"At least I look good with wet hair."

Glimmer opened her mouth, slightly, and tried not to smile. Then, she took a scoop of water and threw it at Cato. He almost fell over as it hit him, and let out a "Hey!" Glimmer tried not to laugh, but she couldn't help herself. She burst into laughter, covering her mouth with her hand. Cato gave Glimmer a small glare, but then he splashed her back. Glimmer carried on laughing, and she went to splash Cato again.

Yet it would be hard to miss the arrow that was heading her way.


	3. Chapter 3

Glimmer screamed as the arrow flashed by her head, and she fell to the floor. It was so close, it could have ended her life. She scrambled for her bow, and then reached for the arrow that had almost killed her. She took her bow and arrow, then stood, and tried to slot the arrow into place, but it was too late. Another arrow was heading her way. Panicking, she tried to throw the arrow in the direction, but it didn't go father than a foot. She dived to the ground, and the arrow barely missed her head. She gazed up, and saw that Cato was already walking towards to the place were the arrow came from.

"Wait! Cato!" she shouted.

"Stay here," he called back. His voice was deep, and demanding. Unlike the way he was talking to her a few minutes ago.

"No!" cried Glimmer. She gripped her bow and arrows, ran towards him, until they were both walking at the same pace. He didn't even look at her. "I'm coming with you, Cato."

Cato froze, and so did Glimmer. He turned to her, staring at her with his cold, blue eyes. His stare made Glimmer feel uncomfortable. He was like a completely different person from a few minutes ago. Neither of them said nothing. They just looked at each other.  
"Glimmer," Cato finally said. "I am telling you to go back to the lake."

"And I'm telling you I'm not going," said Glimmer.

The silence returned. Glimmer wanted to look away, she couldn't bare it any longer. She wanted the old, kind Cato to return. She hated the bloodthirsty, selfish version.

"Fine," said Cato. "But don't interfere."

Cato looked away, and kept walking. It took a moment before Glimmer followed him. They walked in silence. Glimmer occasionally glimpsed at Cato, but he didn't once look at her. Glimmer gazed down at Cato's sword. That could be the sword that could end her life. She could picture it. Her and Cato- the final two. Only one wins. It wasn't going to be her. Cato would push her to the ground, take his sword with a smirk on his face. He would put his weight on her, so that she couldn't move. Gripping her wrists with his foot and spare hand. She would beg for her life. But Cato would ignore her. In one swift movement, he would slice off her neck. And a cannon would fire.

The thought of it made her blood run cold. But then her thoughts returned to the lake. Splashing each other. Laughing. Teasing. And most of all, smiling. His grin. Not his smirk. Not his blood-thirsty smile. His sweet, almost shy smile. And that is what Glimmer loved about him. How he made her heart skip a beat.

"Get down," whispered Cato, as he dragged her to the ground with him. Cato nodded towards the red-headed girl from 5, who was picking berries from a bush. Instead of eating them, she simply picked one, and examined it. Glimmer narrowed her eyes in concentration.

"What's she doing?" she hissed.

"I don't know," Cato hissed back. "But whatever it is, she won't be doing it for much longer."

Cato raised his sword, and smirked at his reflection. He then stood, but Glimmer grasped his shoulder.

"No," she said. "Look." Glimmer pointed towards the tree to their left. When Cato was distracted, Glimmer smiled, and ran towards the girl. She pointed her bow, and was ready to fire.

Cato raised an eyebrow, and then went to turn back to Glimmer, but then his eyes widened.

"Glimmer, no!" he shouted. Too loudly.

The girl from 5 then noticed Glimmer, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. She had no weapons. She tried to run, but Glimmer had already released the arrow. It hit the girl in the stomach, and she fell to the ground. A cannon signalled her death.

Immediately, Cato ran up to Glimmer, and gripped her by the shoulders. He shook her rapidly, as if trying to knock some sense into her.

"What did I tell you?" he yelled. When she didn't respond, he gripped her harder. "Huh? What did I tell you?"

Glimmer glared at Cato. He was really scaring her now. His face was scrunched up, revealing gritted teeth, He breathed heavily on her face.

Her expression reflected on Cato. He began to feel guilty. He had never seen her so afraid. And all because of him. He released her, his fingers slowly leaving her shoulders. She had tears in her eyes, and she trembled as she exhaled. Cato bit his lip, and ran his fingers through his hair.

"I'm sorry," he said. He had never apologized in his life. He had never felt guilty before. He sat down upon the grass, crossed his legs, and placed his fingertips to his forehead. "The Games… The Games just get to you, you know."

Glimmer was still trembling. She wiped the tears from her eyes. She looked at Cato, and the two met eyes. She was afraid of him, and he felt guilty for it. He didn't want her to be afraid. He didn't want to scare her.

Kneeling down to the ground, she shuffled herself towards Cato. Slowly, she placed a hand on his shoulder. Then, another hand. A sob escaped her mouth, and she placed her head on his shoulder. Cato tilted his head so it was resting on hers. Then Glimmer wrapped her arms around him, and the two shared a warm embrace. Glimmer wasn't sure if she was still scared of him. Maybe she was, maybe she wasn't, but that didn't matter. She felt protected in Cato's arms. Something that she hadn't felt ever since the Games had begun. She just wanted to stay like this forever.

To Glimmer's surprise, she heard Cato release a small sob. The most unmanly sob she had ever heard. The two began to laugh, and Cato smiled his sweet, almost shy smile. Glimmer had missed that smile. And she was glad that is was back. She didn't want him to stop smiling. She could have stared at him forever.

But that is when they heard the twig snap.


	4. Chapter 4

The Careers froze. Fear ran through their veins, and their hearts beat rapidly. Their eyes were wide, and full of panic. They dare not speak. The only sound was the sound of each others breathing. Someone else was here. But, who? Katniss? Peeta?

Gingerly, Cato stood, the look of concentration upon his face. Glimmer stood next. She was more afraid than Cato. She was practically shaking. Cato reached down, and picked up his sword, Glimmer could see her reflection. She almost didn't recognize herself. Her hair was a tangled mess. Mud covered most of her face, and the rest was covered in scars. She gasped, and almost tripped as she stepped backwards.

Cato raised his sword. He held it firmly in his hand; so firmly that it looked as if you would have to break his fingers to take it from him. He extended his arm, slightly, pointing at the bush in front of them. He then slowly turned himself in a 360 spin. His eyes were narrowed, examining the area. Glimmer just watched. She had forgotten all about her weapon. She was fascinated about how calm and brave Cato was.

That's when she was grabbed from behind.

Glimmer screamed as the arm was locked around her throat. She couldn't see who had grabbed her; every time she moved her head the lock would tighten. Cato's eyes widened as he looked up from Glimmer and saw Thresh, the boy from 11. He had a dagger in his hand, and he brushed it against Glimmer's cheek. Glimmer winced as the cold metal pressed against her skin.

"Go on then!" Cato yelled. "Kill her!"

Glimmer looked up at him, eyes wide in surprise. Did he mean that? Wouldn't he care if she died?

Thresh didn't move. He just glared at Cato. Glimmer's eyes watched Cato. A few moments ago, she trusted him. He apologized to her. She thought he cared for her. Now, she knew that she couldn't trust him.

Glimmer tried to escape the grip, but Thresh was much stronger than her. She could barely breathe. She felt like she could pass out at any moment. Eventually, she stopped wriggling, knowing that her death was near.

"You heard him. What are you waiting for?" Glimmer asked Thresh. Her voice was tight, and breathless. "Kill me."

Cato shifted his eyes down to Glimmer. He noticed the way she had just accepted her death. An act of bravery. But Cato knew that she was braver than that. Thresh tightened his grip on her. Cato couldn't bare to see her in pain. He wanted it to end, he wanted her to be released. But Cato didn't know how to stop it.

"Do it." Glimmer said. "Just… Please."

Thresh breathed heavily on her neck. She whimpered as the dagger slowly found its way into her cheek. Blood spewed out, and all Glimmer could do was close her eyes. She hoped that her death would be quick, but no. Her death would be slow, and torturing.

The blood dripped down onto her t-shirt. She opened her eyes, and gasped when saw it. She inhaled and exhaled rapidly. She couldn't bare to accept the fact that she was dying. She blinked tears out of her eyes. Biting her lip, she realised that she couldn't bare it anymore.

"Cato!" she screamed, at the top of her lungs. "Cato, please!"

But Cato was already running towards them. Thresh panicked, and released his grip on Glimmer. She fell to the ground with a yelp. Thresh had expected Cato to stop when he released Glimmer, but no- he was still charging towards him. Glimmer wanted to stop him- Thresh was extremely strong, and she knew that the battle wouldn't end well. But even if she had shouted Cato's name, he would have just ignored her. Cato loved fighting. And he wasn't just going to miss this chance.

Glimmer watched as Cato pushed Thresh against the tree. Thresh dropped his knife, but he was too frightened to notice. Cato raised his sword, but Thresh grasped his hand. The sword remained in the air, so close to Thresh's head. With his free hand, Cato punched Thresh square in the nose, and he winced. Cato smirked as Thresh loosened his grip, and managed to wriggle out of it easily. Cato sliced his arm with his sword. Thresh winced again, and crouched over, slightly. Cato's grin grew wider, and he knocked him to the ground. Thresh lay on the floor, not quite dead yet. But Cato was sure to fix that. Glimmer's mouth dropped, and she placed her hand over it.

"Not so tough now, Eleven." smirked Cato.

Thresh didn't reply. He was hugging his knees, laying sideways. Glimmer noted how he must feel like she had felt before- weak, and dying. Glimmer wanted to look away as Thresh died, but it was too late now. In one swift movement, Cato sliced through Thresh's stomach. A cannon fired.

Shivering, Glimmer made her way to Cato. "Did you mean that?" she asked.

Cato raised an eyebrow. "Mean what?"

"'Go on! Kill her!'"

Cato blinked, then frowned. He looked her in the eye, and said: "What do you think?"

All Glimmer could do was stare. That wasn't an answer. She didn't know; she was confused. Did Cato actually care for her? Or was she just another pretty face to him? Glimmer knew that Cato had a soft spot. She had seen that side of him plenty of times. Although, the blood-thirsty Cato was selfish.

Selfish and kind. Two things that don't go well together. Just like her and Cato.


	5. Chapter 5

One thought was on Glimmer's mind as they made their way through the woods. Should she trust Cato? Cato was brutal. Cato was blood-thirsty. Cato was a killer. But on the other hand: Cato was kind. Cato was sweet. Cato saved her life. That's one thing she had never considered: Cato had saved her life. So many times. He helped her. He protected her. He cared for her. But at the same time, he resented her. Didn't he?

Glimmer took a glance at Cato's sword, that was drooping by his side. Covered in blood. Thresh's blood. It could soon be her blood. Glimmer shuddered. She hadn't forgot the fact that Cato could still kill her. He didn't seem to mind when Thresh had almost killed her. What if Thresh had killed her? Would Cato be happy? Would Cato and Thresh create an alliance? So many questions, that she would never know the answer to.

"You really need to be more careful, Glim," said Cato, snapping her back to reality.

There was no indication of joke in his voice. He seemed to be serious. Although knowing Cato, you could never tell. He was a mystery. "Yeah, well, so should you."

Cato scoffed. "At least I don't ask people to kill me."

"Yeah, well, you'll be begging for me not to kill you in a minute." muttered Glimmer.

He heard her, but he didn't say anything. They just kept walking, in silence. Glimmer remembered that she only had one more arrow. If she killed Cato, she wouldn't be able to kill Katniss. That was a reason for not killing him. But Cato had a sword, so he had no reason to not kill her right now. But, why didn't he?

"Why am I still alive, Cato?" she asked.

"Sorry?"

"I mean, why haven't you killed me yet?"

Cato wrinkled his nose. "Because. You're useful."

"Useful? How am I useful?"

"Tell you later," he almost whispered, giving her a small nudge on the shoulder. Unsure if it was a joke or not, Glimmer just narrowed her eyes at him, then looked away. Cato was a strange one. One minute he was a killer, the next he was a joker. Glimmer wasn't quite sure of what she thought of him yet. All she knew was that she had to be careful around him.

The pair reached the lake, and they set themselves down by the edge. This was were Glimmer had discovered Cato's soft side, when they both joked around and splashed each other. Glimmer remembered the smile on his face, his sweet almost shy smile, which she missed dearly.

* * *

Cato lit a fire, and then admired the blood upon his sword. Proud that he had killed such a strong tribute. He smiled as he smoothed his fingers upon it, rubbing it between his thumb and index finger. Glimmer sat, hugging her knees, and warming her hands by the fire. Night was closing in, and it was so cold, that Glimmer could see her breath. She had begun to think that Thresh's death had been a waste of time- the two should have continued to find Katniss.

Glimmer's blood boiled at the thought of her name. Katniss Everdeen. The girl who everyone admired. The girl who was loved by the whole country. The girl who Glimmer hated more than anyone. Glimmer gritted her teeth, and scowled at the fire. Fire was what Katniss was famous for. The Girl on Fire. Releasing a soft growl, Glimmer stood, and stomped heavily upon the fire. The fire went out, and Cato raised an eyebrow.

"Wow, okay…" he began, with a half laugh. "What was that for?

Glimmer sighed, and rubbed fingers upon her forehead. "Sorry. I'm just…"

"Tired?" said Cato. He beckoned her towards him. "Come here."

Sighing again, Glimmer approached Cato, and sat next to him. He wrapped an arm around her, and brought her closer. It made her feel slightly uncomfortable, considering she didn't know whether she could trust Cato or not, but the night air was cold, and she felt warmer.

"Tomorrow we will find her," said Cato. "I promise you."

Glimmer nodded, slightly. She closed her eyes. She snuggled herself into Cato, and he smiled.

"It's funny," he said. "I thought that you would still be crying over Marvel now."

Abruptly, Glimmer sat up, and narrowed her eyes. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"I just meant-"

"I do miss him, Cato. I do. I love him. He was like a brother to me and-"

"Shh." Cato whispered, as he brought Glimmer back to his side. "I'm sure his death affected you- of course it did- but what I meant was that you are brave, Glimmer. Braver than I expected. And you're clever. You think before you act. And I know that you're not just a dumb blonde."

Glimmer nodded slowly, taking it in. She considered everything he said. He said she was brave. Clever. And most of all, he knew she wasn't just a dumb blonde. That's what she had been trying to prove. That there was so much more to her than what people would think. Glimmer smiled. Someone had finally understood her. And she couldn't believe it. Tears were threatening to fall, happy tears, and she wiped under her eyes with the back of her hand.

Cato leaned over, and ran his fingers throughout her hair. Glimmer closed her eyes. She wriggled a little, until she was fully relaxed. She smiled as she began to drift off to sleep.

* * *

Two hours must have passed when Glimmer finally woke up. The sky was dark, and the only light was coming from the newly lit fire. Cato was sitting by it, warming his hands up. His eyes were focused on the flame, watching every flicker.

"Hey," Glimmer said.

Cato looked over to her, and smiled. He felt alone when she was asleep, but he didn't want to wake her. "Hey," he replied.

"What's up?"

"Nothing, just a bit cold. You alright?"

"Fine, yeah. I needed that sleep."

Cato smiled, and he stood and walked over to her. He sat next to her, and she rested her head upon his shoulder. Her head fitted perfectly, and she felt content when she put it there. There was something about Cato that she just loved. Maybe it was the speech; maybe it was because he saved her. Whatever it was, Glimmer didn't care.

The anthem began to play, and Glimmer and Cato tilted their heads up to the sky. The girl from 5, and Thresh were the only two that had died. The Careers both smirked at each other, responsible for both.

"Who's left, then?" asked Glimmer.

"Us, and the two from 12."

Glimmer's eyes widened, and her lips curved into a smirk. Four left. _Us and them_, Glimmer thought. She smirked at Cato, who returned the look. The Careers stood, picked up their weapons, then Cato slipped his fingers into hers. Glimmer smiled at him, and then they went on their way, searching for the Star-crossed lovers.


	6. Chapter 6

It was hard to see in the dark. They had to trust their instincts. Cato seemed to have better sight, so he guided Glimmer throughout the woods, dodging low branches and stepping over traps. They stayed quiet, only whispering among themselves when necessary.

The darkness played tricks with Glimmer's eyes. She swore that she saw a mysterious figure in the corner of her eye, but Cato dismissed it, claiming it was only her imagination. Glimmer began to feel paranoid, and gripped tighter on Cato. Cato tried his best to persuade her that they were alone, but fear had already made it's way to her bones.

Her eyes were wide with alert. Watching every move on their travels. Listening carefully to their footsteps, and checking if there was another set. Raising her bow in defence whenever she accidentally walked into a branch. Every once in a while, she froze, still holding on to Cato. They stood, in silence, for a few minutes, with Glimmer listening intently to voices that she had thought she had heard. Cato began to worry- The Games had finally got to her.

Cato knew how it felt. On the edge of insanity. So close to losing it. The urge to just break down. Cato wrapped his arm around her, but to his surprise, she shook it off without looking at him. He couldn't bare to see her like this. This wasn't the Glimmer he had known before.

"Glimmer?" he asked.

She didn't reply. She looked as if she had seen a ghost.

"Glimmer," he repeated. "are you alright?"

She nodded a little. She still hadn't looked him in the eye.

"We will find her, you know," he said. "Before morning. I promise."

Glimmer nodded, finally coming back to reality. She looked him in the eye, trying her best to smile. But her smile didn't travel to her eyes, which were looking more darker than the usual emerald shade. She wrinkled her nose, trying to keep the tears back, and then lead the way throughout the woods.

They continued walking in complete silence. Cato glimpsed down at Glimmer's beautiful, golden hair. It was covered in mud and twigs, but the golden shine still remained. Glimmer. A faint or wavering light. That's what she had. Light. Even though the Games were tough, and brutal, and bloody- Cato still had his little bit of light. The girl who could make him smile in an instant. The one person who he could be himself with. The one who he wanted to protect, even if it meant his death. Glimmer. The beautiful blonde.

After walking for a short while, Glimmer began to feel dizzy. She closed her eyes, briefly, inhaling and exhaling slowly. She hadn't realised that she had stopped walking, until Cato placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Glimmer, if you're tired, you can go back," he said. "I'll take care of them."

"No!" she snapped, turning around and looking him in the eye. "I'm not tired. Look, I'm wide awake. I'm not tired. Not at all! Ugh, why are we wasting time? Come on!"

Glimmer almost tripped over her own feet, but Cato grabbed her arm just in time. "Glimmer…"

"I'm fine," she stated, straightening herself. "No, really. I'm fine."

"No, you're not." Cato said, in a soft tone. "You need to go back. Please. Go back."

Glimmer was too dizzy and tired to argue. She took a deep breath, then nodded, slowly. She almost collapsed again, but Cato saved her once more.

"I'll come back with you. You don't look stable enough on your own." he said.

Glimmer nodded, and managed a weak smile. She wrapped an arm around his shoulder, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulder. Cato guided her all the way back to camp, holding her tight and never letting go. He vowed to protect her, and he was a man of his word. When they finally arrived, Glimmer felt like she was going to pass out. But Cato carefully set her down on the ground, before placing a blanket over her shivering body. She wanted to thank him, but instead she only managed a smile, unable to speak.

She felt so tired, so weak. She fell asleep almost immediately. Cato watched her for a while. A calmer girl, though still beautiful. Cato savoured this time, a time where he could stare at her for as long as he wanted. He couldn't love Glimmer, no. Because only one wins the Games. Only one gets out. He couldn't fall in love with a girl, who he had to lose at some point. But at least for now, he could protect her.

Cato took one last look at the sleeping beauty, before taking a breath, then setting off, knowing that he might not survive to see her face in the morning light.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Hey guys! I'd just like to thank you all for reading and reviewing! It means the world to me, honestly! Thank you all so much!**

* * *

_Glimmer watched as the two blond boys fought on the top of the Cornucopia. She stood, defenceless, as Cato received many hits and punches from the one formerly known as Lover Boy. Cato screamed and yelled, clearly losing the battle. Glimmer wanted to stop it, but she couldn't. She wasn't badly injured, so that wasn't an excuse. But whenever she told herself to move, her legs refused, and she remained still, just watching. Peeta Mellark yelled as Cato attempted to pull at his hair, but he reacted quick enough to wrap his wrists. In one swift move, Peeta pulled Cato's wrists backwards. His bones clicked, and Glimmer's mouth dropped. Cato called out in pain. Glimmer screamed. Unable to fight anymore, Cato took one last look at her. "I-" he begun. But he was too late. Because Peeta had pushed him off the Cornucopia. And Cato had fallen to his death. Into the darkness, and into the mutts._

_Glimmer screamed, and ran towards him. But Peeta pushed her to the ground. Katniss appeared next to him. She was pinned to the floor, as the tributes from 12 smirked as they began to torture her._

Glimmer woke abruptly, her nightmare still echoing in her mind. She shook her head rapidly, trying to remove it from her brain, but it didn't work. It was still there. She closed her eyes again, releasing a soft sob. The picture of Cato's dead body wouldn't leave her mind. His face covered in scars, eyes still open. Dead.

Dying in dreams was a scary thing. Something she had never experienced before. Although dying was a big fear of hers, she was more affected by Cato's. The worst thing was, she thought it was real. It seemed real. The screams, the shouts, the pain. Realistic.

* * *

She had had a lot of nightmares during the time in the arena. Mainly containing being chased by mutations, or the recurring dream that she was being stung to death by the Tracker Jackers. She had narrowly escaped them, when Cato grabbed her arm and took her away, but she had hallucinations.

Her hallucinations contained her family, and back home. She saw her mother, sitting on a wooden chair, holding a needle and thread. Glimmer watched as her mother dropped them, and started crying uncontrollably. Glimmer ran over to her, and placed her hands on her mother's lap. Instantly, her mother glared at her, and slapped her hands away.

"Get off me!" she cried. "Don't you realise how much trouble you have caused? Get out!"

Glimmer's eyes widened. She didn't understand why here mother was talking to her this way. She hadn't done anything. "Mom…"

"Go!" her mother yelled. Glimmer jumped, and backed away, holding her hands up in defence. "Get out!"

Her mother continued sobbing, and Glimmer tried her best to hold the tears back. Her heart skipped a beat when a hand was placed on her shoulder.

"You're late home, Glimmer," a deep voice growled. Glimmer shuddered, instantly recognizing the voice.

"Dad…" she whimpered. She turned around, slowly, and had to lift her head a little to see his face. Bald, eyes narrowed, and a stern look upon his face. He was another one of Glimmer's fears.

"You need to learn to grow up, girl." he said. "You're seventeen! You shouldn't be wasting your time doing nothing! Grow up!"

"But, Dad…" she whispered. She intended it to be louder, but she was too afraid.

"No buts!" he snapped. "You're not a child anymore!"

"Dad…" she managed. But before she could continue, a huge force was hit against her arm, forcing her to cry out in pain.

"Grow up!" Her father hit her again, on her left arm this time. Glimmer's eyes were pouring now. She clutched her arm, squeezing her eyes shut. She didn't want her father to see her as a weakling, but it was too late now.

"Get a job! Work! Stop acting so stupid!"

Glimmer tried to ignore him, but the words were hurting her just as bad as her arm was. How could her father say that about her? Did he really believe she was stupid? She gazed over at her mother. She was still crying, her face in her palms. What was she crying over? What had Glimmer done that had affected her so badly?

Another force hit Glimmer. This time she was knocked to the ground. She screamed at the top of her lungs. Hoping and praying that the pain would end. She lay on the cold, hard floor, and hugged her knees. The bruise on her face burned, and she pressed it against the coldness of the floor. Glimmer released a shaky sob. Maybe her father felt guilty. Maybe he would leave her alone. But instead, her father raised his arm, ready to hit her harder than ever before. Glimmer closed her eyes, tight, and let out another sob.

* * *

Just at that, Glimmer awoke. She tried to move, but noticed that her body was covered in leaves. Her breaths still shaky, she lifted a hand to her temple, and slowly rubbed it.

"Oh, you're awake," a voice said. Glimmer looked to her left, and saw Cato. He was preparing a fire, and blowing at the sticks. "How you feeling?"

"I… umm…" she began. She wasn't sure whether or not to tell Cato about her family experience.

"It's okay, take it easy." said Cato, walking towards her. He held her hand, and gave her something like a smile.

"I had a… there was this thing… with my mom… and my dad…"

"It wasn't real. Just a hallucination. That's what the Tracker Jacker stings do. And you were stung pretty badly…"

Glimmer nodded. Her body was practically covered in leaves. She gazed at Cato's right arm, which was dotted with small, but deadly, stings.

"Your arm…" she pointed out.

He raised an eyebrow, but then looked at his arm, and then shook his head. "Nah, I'm fine. I'm a fighter."

"H-How long was I asleep?"

"About two days. I've been hunting a couple of times. Marvel's hunting right now."

"And Clove?"

Cato frowned. He sighed, and lost her gaze. "Dead."

Glimmer bit her lip. Losing his District partner must have been hard. The person who you trained with. The person that you stuck with. The person who you care for. Glimmer couldn't imagine what she would feel like when Marvel died.

"She died in the Tracker Jacker attack," he nodded. "I tried to save her, I did try. But I was too late. And… she was gone."

Glimmer didn't know what to say. Should she comfort him? Should she say how Clove is in a better place now? Glimmer wasn't good with death. She was raised to love it; enjoy every single kill. Never show any mercy. Be a ruthless killer. Having feelings was considered weak. But for once, Glimmer could understand why Cato was upset. Because she would hate it to happen to her.

Cato released something like a laugh. He then stood, and walked back to the fire. Glimmer sat, staring at her surroundings for a while, until Marvel returned. Cato cheered, as Marvel was carrying a dead animal, which contained a lot of meat. Glimmer gave the boys a weak smile, happy that they had a meal, but too faint to speak.

The boys were too busy talking, and cooking the meat, that they barely noticed Glimmer was there. She just watched for a while, until she drifted off to sleep.

* * *

**A/N: Bit of a boring chapter, sorry! Sorry if this chapter was a bit confusing. I just wanted to give a bit of a flashback chapter, and go into Glimmer's life at home. People say that she's a bit of a bitch, but they don't know what she's going through back home! So, um, hope you liked it! Please review! If you want! Bye!**


	8. Chapter 8

Glimmer still felt faint, but she knew that she couldn't just sit and wait for Cato to come back. The silence was eerie, and she couldn't bare it. Shaking slightly, she rose from the ground, and lifted her bow and arrow. She licked her dry lips, and stood for a few minutes, trying to get her mind set. She took a breath, then headed off.

Everything looked the same. The same trees. The same leaves. The same branches. It was easy to get lost. Especially when walking alone. Someone could attack her at any moment. Glimmer's breaths became shaky. She couldn't turn back now. She wasn't a coward. But then she heard it.

A scream. A male scream.

Glimmer couldn't breathe. Her heart beat rapidly in her chest. Her blood ran cold.

She ran. Towards the scream. Towards whatever was happening. It wasn't the wisest choice, but she had to know. Whether it was Cato or not. Whether Cato was dead or not.

Something was bubbling inside her. Anger? Pain? No. The urge to yell. Yell his name. She couldn't fight it. "Cato? CATO!"

She tripped on a tree's root, and fell to the ground, face down, with a thud. She snapped her head up. Narrowed her eyes. "Katniss." she said, casually.

"Glimmer," Katniss replied, just as casually. As if she wasn't aiming her bow and arrow at Glimmer's forehead. One wrong move and Glimmer would die. Just like that.

"Where's Lover boy, huh?" said Glimmer, with a half laugh.

Katniss didn't reply. She just continued glaring at Glimmer. Glimmer eyed at the arrow that was aimed at her forehead. The blade was so close to her. She could almost feel the blade being pushed into her skin. Katniss didn't even flinch at the fact how Glimmer's eyes were almost begging for mercy.

She took a breath, and blew a strand of her blonde hair out of her eyes. She needed help. She needed a plan. But, what? She closed her eyes briefly. _I need a plan, I need a plan, I need a plan. _Then, her eyes widened with mischief, a smirk spread across her face. She looked directly at Katniss, making sure her eyes were full of innocence. "We could find Cato. You and I. Kill him."

The words seemed to have no effect with Katniss, so Glimmer went on. "Please. We're better with two. You could have revenge. Revenge for Peeta's death."

At first, Glimmer wasn't 100% certain that it was Peeta who had died, but the look on Katniss' face showed everything. Tears threatened to fall, and Katniss wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. After a few moments, her eyes were pouring, and she had dropped her bow. Glimmer stood, and wrapped her arms around Katniss comfortingly, with a look of fake sympathy in her eyes. She locked her fingers around her bow and arrow. It wasn't right to kill Katniss yet, but oh, how she wanted to.

This fake alliance with Katniss would have to last a while. Perhaps the sponsors would find it entertaining, and send her something special. Glimmer smiled at the thought.

Katniss broke up the hug, and looked Glimmer in the eye. "Why do _you_ want to kill Cato?"

"He… He…" Glimmer struggled to think of a reason. She panicked. She bit her lip. She took a breath. She cupped her hands, and then just cried into them. Katniss patted her on the back, whispering words of comfort. Glimmer's plan seemed to be working. She released a realistic sob, and then she noticed that actual tears were falling. Not fake ones. She was actually upset. But she didn't know why.

But then she realised. Why did Katniss want to ally with her? To kill Cato. What if they actually killed Cato? Would it bother her? What if Katniss killed her? Would it bother _him_?

Glimmer had to make sure that they didn't kill Cato. Make sure that they avoid him as much as possible. Persuade Katniss that he was by the lake, when he was actually five miles away. Perhaps it would end in her death. Maybe Katniss would turn on her, after finding out that she was lying to her. But that didn't matter, she decided. She had to keep Cato safe.

"I'm fine," Glimmer nodded. "Really, I am."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. I'm sure."

"Then tell me," Katniss placed a hand on Glimmer's shoulder, "what did Cato do that was so bad?"

"He…" Glimmer took a breath. "I was by the lake. He was getting firewood. I was bored, so I was pretending to have a battle with his sword. Then he came back and…"

"What did he do, Glimmer? What did he do?" Glimmer just wanted to slap her. She wasn't sure where this was going. She wasn't a quick thinker, and it was hard to think of new ideas in an instant.

"He… He attacked me." Glimmer released a fake sob. She sobbed into her palms, and Katniss rubbed her fingers against Glimmer's back, soothingly. She didn't press Glimmer for any more answers, but Glimmer feared that it wasn't convincing enough. "He took his sword. Pushed me to the ground. And in that moment, I swear, I thought I was going to die. It was only the cannon from the girl from 5 that distracted him."

"It's okay, shh," Katniss whispered. "We'll find him, okay? And give him a good death."

Glimmer nodded, slowly. The lie was deep, maybe a little too deep. The audience knew that it was a lie. She had killed the girl from 5. Now Glimmer seemed innocent to Katniss. But do the audience like the lying? For a moment, Glimmer thought that there would be an announcement, claiming that Glimmer was responsible for the redheaded girl's death, and Katniss would attack her. But, thankfully, there wasn't.

"Come on," Katniss smiled, extending her hand to Glimmer's. "Let's go find him."


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Hey guys! Once again, I'd just like to thank you all for reviewing and everything! It means the world to me!**

Silence surrounded the two remaining females in the arena. The howling wind had died down, with only a soft breeze taking its place. Nevertheless, it was still as cold and eerie as it was before. Night was threatening to come, but Glimmer did not want to lie down and rest. She was wide awake, her eyes wide and afraid of what was to come. Katniss walked slightly ahead, as if to lead the way.

Glimmer gazed down to her bow and arrow. The arrow was ready in its slot. This was her chance. She could do it. End Katniss Everdeen. Kill her for good. But she couldn't. Why couldn't she? Why couldn't she do the one thing that she had wanted to do since she entered the arena? Her heart beat rapidly as she remembered. If she killed Katniss, then there would be two tributes left. Her and Cato. No. She couldn't let that happen. She did not want to be in the final two with Cato.

But if Glimmer was going to win, Cato would have to die anyway. She had not considered it until now. It didn't matter anymore. Whether Katniss found Cato or not, Glimmer knew that either she or Cato had to die. It had to happen. That's how cruel the Games were. They make you attached to someone. Attached to a human being. But then a cannon fires and they're gone. No way back. You just have to get on with life. How could anyone bare it?

Pain is an emotion. Emotions make you weak. That was Glimmer's motto. She could never feel emotions, or she would appear weak and frail. But coming to the final three, and losing someone you love for certain was tough. Knowing that it was going to happen was worse. The feeling of loss and hurt approaching was hell in itself. The feeling of knowing that you will never be the same again, after losing so much already.

A yawn escaped Glimmer's mouth. Katniss gave a small smile, and turned her head around slightly.

"Tired?" she asked.

"No." replied Glimmer, firmly. "Not at all."

"You sure?"

"Yes. It's too late to stop now. He's close. I can tell."

Katniss nodded. She took a breath. "It's not a good thing. The killing."

Glimmer raised an eyebrow. "Wha-?"

"I've heard you," said Katniss. "You and the rest of the career pack. Laughing after you killed the girl from 8."

Glimmer bit her lip. It was true, she did laugh after she killed the girl from 8. Impersonating her pleas and the look on her face. At the time, it felt good. As if just impersonating a stupid thing that one of their friends had done. But, no. They were impersonating a girl who was begging for her life, begging to be spared. A dead girl. Now, Glimmer felt bad. No, worse, she felt terrible. Yet another reason why the Games were cruel.

The Careers were known to enjoy the Games. But really, they enjoyed it just as much as any other tribute. Perhaps they were known to like it better because they always got a high training score, and always allied with the other Careers. But the laughing, the joking and putting work into each kill was all really an act. With all that they did, the sponsors were thrilled. They certainly got the most, no doubt about it. They were always the favourites to win the Games. And they almost always did.

However, if the Careers were the last tributes standing, there would certainly be a bloodbath. There would be no hesitant to start killing each other. Not that they would enjoy it. But that they were afraid about what would happen. If they didn't kill, they would appear weak. No career would want to appear weak. If they did, then it would be shameful. They would bring shame upon their District. The Careers were not weak. They were strong. They were mighty.

Perhaps they were good killers. Only because they were trained to kill, and it was all they knew. How to kill and how to die. It wasn't something to be proud of. Death is nothing to be proud of. But when they were praised for killing, rewarded for killing, it seemed like it was right. But it wasn't. Killing was wrong. The Hunger Games were wrong. The whole country watching innocent children being murdered was wrong. How could anyone enjoy it? How were people still watching?

Glimmer wanted to tell Katniss everything. She wanted to explain how she hated the killing. How the killing was wrong. How everything was wrong. But she couldn't. She was too scared about what would happen.

Instead, Glimmer just shrugged. "It was a good kill."

Katniss turned around, and glared right at Glimmer. Her eyes narrowed, and her face scrunched up, disgusted. How dare she say something like that?

"A good kill?" repeated Katniss. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"What I said." Glimmer snapped back.

Katniss stared at her for a while. Glimmer was a pretty girl. She had lived a great life back home, with riches and rubies. Now she was here. In a hellish land. Full of death and destruction. Yet she enjoyed it. The smirk that was spread upon Glimmer's face was enough to read her mind. That she liked killing. And Katniss was sickened by it.

She held her gaze, and expected Glimmer to look away first. But she didn't. Katniss lost her gaze, not wanting to look at the brutal girl for much longer. The thoughts of Glimmer wanting to kill her were jumping around in her mind. This girl could jump at any moment, and Katniss was prepared.

The two girls held their bows firmly in their hands. At any moment, one could strike. The alliance would be over, and the two would be rivals once more. One would die, and then it would be the final two. Katniss vs. Cato, or Glimmer vs. Cato. Glimmer hated the thought at either of them. She didn't want either to happen. All she wanted was to go home, and pretend that the Games were all just a bad dream. A nightmare. That's what the Games were- a nightmare.

Feeling weak, Katniss almost stumbled to the ground as she took a step forward. She was extremely tired, and needed rest. But she couldn't. She couldn't risk the chance of falling asleep, and giving Glimmer a chance to kill her. She needed to stay alert at all times, watching Glimmer's every move. She knew how much Cato and Glimmer hated her. She knew how much the Careers wanted to kill her. How much they had been waiting to kill her since she was presented with the Fire chariot, and was instantly loved by the whole nation. At the time, Katniss felt proud. Happy that she was loved and admired by these rich- yet bizarre- people. But then she realised that being noticeable was a threat. Being loved by the nation, she was instantly a target. She had seen the dirty looks that the Careers had flashed her. They had been watching her. Observing her. Hoping that she would slip up at some time, and be called a fool. But that didn't happen. The Careers were arrogant, and arrogance was dangerous. And being a target was not a good thing.

"It's getting dark," Katniss noted.

"Yes," Glimmer nodded. "But we can't stop now. There's only three left. If we don't find him soon, the Gamemakers will get bored, and send something in to kill us all off. And which would you prefer?"

"Fine," Katniss' tone was harsh, emotionless. "Come on."

They carried on walking which must have felt like hours. The sky grew darker and darker, until all they could see was the silhouettes of the figures around them. They could no longer see each other's expressions, which made their minds wander to what the other must be thinking. Hatred and anger filled their bones, to the point where they just wanted to jump on and strangle each other. Killing was not a good thing, but anger took over and drove their emotions to the extreme.

_Something wasn't right, _Glimmer thought. They were the final three. Nothing had happened in at least eight hours. Surely, the Capitol citizens were complaining by now. They must have been dying with boredom, waiting for the next kill to come along. What were the Gamemakers doing? There was only one explanation- planning something big. Something huge. A finale to remember. Glimmer had seen it before. One year, it was the final two- the girl from 7, and the boy from 2. They were at least two kilometres away from each other, and both severely injured. It was a desert arena, and the girl hadn't had any water for a week. She was dying; a slow and peaceful death. Inside, Glimmer felt so sorry for her. She wanted her pain to end, and for her just to die in peace. But that didn't happen. Instead, fly mutations appeared in a giant swarm. They were just like tracker jackers, yet even more deadly. If one of them were to sting you, the poison injected into your veins and blood, and you would die, instantly. But hundreds surrounded her. She screamed, at the top of her lungs, swatting them away. The odds were not in her favor. Finally, after being stung several times around her arms, legs and neck, she collapsed to the ground. A cannon fired. The boy from 2 was named victor, and treated for his wounds.

At that point, Glimmer began to wonder. Why did they go after the girl from 7? Because she was weak. She didn't look older than fourteen. The boy from 2 was eighteen. The Capitol wanted a strong victor. A role model. One that the girls would swoon at. A handsome lad, who would eventually become a warrior. The Games were fixed. The Odds were always in the wealthier District's favor. The weak and the poor were just discarded of. The Capitol had no interest in them. They needed good television, which meant that they had to make the Games as interesting as possible. It was never a surprise when a Career won the Games, though. It was a natural thing. Because they were stronger, older. They always had a high training score, and trained before the Games. The odds were certainly in their favor.

It all made sense. Everything. Glimmer's mind rushed with brand new information- like the puzzle pieces finally fitted together. The Games were fixed! And Katniss Everdeen. Katniss Everdeen who volunteered for the Games. Katniss Everdeen who got an eleven in training. Katniss Everdeen who could shoot a bow and arrow better than anyone she had ever seen. Katniss Everdeen- The Girl on Fire. The Underdog. Showing how strong she really was. Showing how she was proud to come from District 12 during the Tribute Parade. Showing how everyone in the Games were equal, no matter what age or size they were. The perfect spark of rebellion.

Glimmer vaguely remembered the dead corpse of the girl from 11. What was her name? Glimmer didn't even know. That disgusted her. The poor girl was only twelve, she had died, and Glimmer didn't even know her name. No-one at the Capitol would have cared about her death. Perhaps drunken men would have put all their money on her to win the Games, but that was how far as it went. The poor little twelve year old girl. Completely innocent in every way. Glimmer had noticed her in training- very quiet, yet mysterious. Small, but she had a lot in her. She noticed her more than any other younger child in the Games. Glimmer's heart broke a little. Twenty-one innocent children had died, since they set foot in the arena. Glimmer was responsible for four of them. The girls from 5, 6, 8 and 9. She was praised for killing them, rewarded by sponsor gifts that helped her survive. But Glimmer knew that those four deaths would always stay on her conscience.

Emotions get the better of you. Sorrow was an emotion that hurt so badly. Emotions change over time. One minute you could be feeling happy and thrilled, the next dismayed and depressed. The Games affected you in that way. They drived you insane. If you were not killed by a weapon, or natural causes, insanity was sure to get the better of you. It was something that even the Capitol couldn't mend. Once you reached the point where you were unable to set your mind straight- that was it. It was over. Your life was over. You either turned to alcohol, or drugs, or let it stay in your mind, forever. The death and destruction of the Games. Everything that you saw stayed with you. Alcohol was the best option. That way you could hide how you really felt. Let the liquor clear your mind, and during that drunken time, just live life carefree. As if the Games never happened. Clear your memory for a short while.

Glimmer's breaths were uneasy. She had slowed down, until she had come to a complete stop. She stared into space, her eyes focused straight ahead. If she could move, she would have curled into a ball on the floor, and just cried. But she couldn't move, she was in shock. Hanging off the bridge of insanity. Her mind was full of different theories. Half of herself telling her that she was okay, the other half telling her the truth, how she was going insane. The deaths of the innocent four females repeating in her mind. She remembered every single one so clearly. Yanking the girl from 6's hair, and then finishing her with a knife. Stabbing the girl from 9 in the back. Using Cato's sword to kill the girl from 8. And the bow and arrow with the girl from 5. Each death was echoing in her mind. She tried to clear her head, but the thoughts didn't leave her mind. It was frightening.

Now violently shaking, Glimmer placed her fingertips to her temples. She inhaled and exhaled rapidly, struggling to breathe. Death. Death was all she could think of. Death was all she could remember. The blood that covered her hands when she stabbed the girl from 6. The horrible, horrible blood. A strange color- darker than what you would expect. The blood that covered her knife and the blood of a dead girl. It made her sick.

But Glimmer's mind was back in track when she heard the scream.

**A/N: Longest chapter yet! *dance* So, yeah, hope you liked it! It took me ages, because school started again *groan* and I have a LOT of homework. A LOT. Okay, that's it! Review if you want! Bye!**


	10. Chapter 10

It was quiet. Muffled, and far away, but it was still a scream. It wasn't clear whether it was male or female, but it was a scream, and that was all that mattered. Glimmer's feet refused to move at first; afraid and alarmed. But after a few moments, she was darting towards the source of the sound.

Breathlessly, Glimmer ventured throughout the woods, dreading what she would find. She bumped into the odd tree or two, and narrowly missed the rest. The sky was as dark as ever; the endless pit of darkness foreshadowed the boundless darkness that was to come.

Glimmer's bow remained tight beside her, her numb, cold fingers still retaining the grip. It felt like her fingers were fixed to it. Like her fingers could never ever leave it. Just like the memories could never leave her brain. They would remain there forever.

She wanted to scream. She wanted to get her anger and fear out of her system. The sound was burning in her throat. Threatening to come out at any moment. She took a breath, and her throat settled. If she was going to fight, she needed to calm down.

Gasping for breath, Glimmer inhaled and exhaled quicker and quicker. She found it difficult to breathe. She was so tired, yet so determined. She wanted to stop, but she couldn't. The Capitol wanted a fight, and she needed to give it to them. Whether she liked it or not.

Half of her was praying that Cato was okay. But the other half of her hoped that something else had got him, so she wouldn't have to kill him, or even witness his death. But she couldn't get all worked up about some boy. He was a Career, blood-thirsty and brutal. He was Cato. She was Glimmer. So many differences, yet so many similarities. Perhaps they weren't perfect, nobody was. But with their flaws and weak points, that was what made them human.

Another cry. Deeper. But it wasn't a scream.

Realisation hit Glimmer. The cry was so piercing, so lasting, that it could be only one thing.

A howl.

Glimmer froze. Her heart beat faster, and she could almost hear it. The wail echoed in her mind, each time so clearer and clearer of how much danger she was in. Her breaths shaky, she gazed up to the sky and unlike previously before, she saw the brightness and intensity of the moon. It looked so small, so far away. The little circles of detail upon it. The bright glow that traced its outline. So beautiful, so natural. No-one ever had the time in District 1 to notice the beauty of nature. They were so racked up about their new clothes, and new shoes. Similar to the Capitol. Neither of the places cared about the environment. They were too busy for that stuff. Yet they made the arena so striking, so luring, as if it would hide the fact that it were a place of destruction.

Beautiful, yet deadly. Like Cato.

Before Glimmer had the chance to flee, sharp claws pierced into her skin and she was knocked to the ground with a thud. She screamed as the claws pierced into her hair, and forced her to stay on the ground. As much as she wriggled, it did no use. The wolf-like creature was tense above her, ready to begin its meal. Glimmer opened her eyes, slightly, and glimpsed into the mutt's. Strangely, they were a pale blue, and contrasted with its dark orange fur. Its mouth was wide open, revealing razor sharp teeth, which Glimmer could almost feel digging into her skin. The mutt breathed into her face with foul breath.

Glimmer was trembling. A whimper escaped her throat_. It's over,_ she thought. _It's over for me. _The Capitol had begun the grand finale, and there was no escape. Not this time. She tried to lift her bow and arrow, but the mutt had firmly pressured its paw on her arm. She lost her grip, and the pressure was too strong to retrieve it. Glimmer released a sob, as the sharpness of the mutt's teeth found its way into her right arm. It tore at her skin, and the pain was unbearable. She closed her eyes, tight, unable to even glimpse at the horror that was happening to her arm. Her lip trembled- she wanted to speak, she wanted to scream- but no words came out. Frozen in shock and fear. Weak. The weak girl from District 1. A pretty face, but nothing special. Worthless. She was only noticeable when with the other careers. But the odds were more in their favor than hers. Out of the pack, she was the least likely to win the Games. Everyone knew it, it was obvious. The amount of times that she had missed the target, when practicing her bow and arrow skills during training. But it was her smirk, her mischievous personality that made her threatening. When placed with the other Careers, she seemed stronger than she actually was.

But the Careers were not here anymore. She was alone, and dying. It would take a while until the mutt would finish her. Hours, maybe days. And there she was, waiting for it to finish. Waiting for her death. She couldn't bare waiting. The mutt's tongue pressed against the flesh wound upon her arm, causing it to string agonizingly. Something like a sob escaped her lips, her shaky breaths clear. People back home were watching this. Back in the Capitol, back in District 1. The nation was showing how weak she was. How helpless she was. Showing a seventeen year old girl being murdered. How could they? How could they watch someone suffer for hours and hours? _Why?_ It wasn't entertaining. If Glimmer was watching this back home, she would probably be bored, and turn the television off. It wasn't exactly a fight. She had lost, she was dying. Wasn't that enough? Did they have to continue? Yes. Of course they did. The whole point was to torture the tributes as much as possible. The Capitol didn't care. It didn't affect them.

Glimmer swallowed. Perhaps she deserved it. If you kill, perhaps you should be killed. It was only fair. She wasn't innocent; she was completely and utterly guilty. Perhaps her District would be proud of her, but would her family? Would they be proud that their daughter had killed innocent children? Would they be cheering her on? Glimmer had no idea. Her family were faint in her mind; it had been so long since she last saw them. Nevertheless, she assured herself that they would still love her, no matter what. Perhaps even her father would be proud of her.

What had felt like a lifetime for Glimmer, the mutt finally stopped chewing on her arm. Slobber dripped down its mouth and onto the wound. Glimmer winced, her face scrunched. When Glimmer reopened her eyes to gaze down at her wound, she found the mutt staring right back at her. It brought its face closer to hers, until their noses were practically touching. Glimmer's emerald eyes stared right into the mutt's blues. Her eyes wide in fear and the mutt's narrowed and empty. The mutt released a soft gentle growl, before opening its mouth wide and growling in her face. So powerful that the air blew into Glimmer's face. Still frozen, Glimmer managed to whisper a _"Please." _The mutt growled again, softly, then backed away, and pressed its nose back onto the wound. It wasn't finished. The pain of saliva against the wound still stung harshly, and Glimmer couldn't bare it any longer. As the mutt pressed its tongue against the wound again, Glimmer's eyes shut securely. The enduring pain returned.

Abruptly, the weight upon Glimmer's arm left. Glimmer's eyes snapped open, and the mutt released a cry of pain. It took a few moments before it collapsed. Gazing up in front of her, Glimmer would be lying if she said that she wasn't relieved. There he stood. The boy who saved her again, and again.

"You know," he begun, "I thought that I was done saving you."

Without a second hesitation, Glimmer stood, and wrapped her arms around him. He returned the embrace, pulling her tighter, reassuringly. When Glimmer finally pulled away, her hand accidently brushed against his neck. When she looked back at it, fresh blood had appeared on her hand. "Cato, your neck…"

"I'm fine," he nodded. "Just a small wound. I'll be okay."

Glimmer pressed her palm against it again, resulting in Cato to flinch slightly. Blood covered her hand, and she brushed her fingertips against it. She shook her head, eyes still fixated on the blood. "You're not okay, Cato,"

"Look," Cato gripped her shoulders, lightly. He looked deep into her eyes. "That doesn't matter. All that matters is getting you out of here alive. All right?"

Glimmer didn't reply. She didn't know what to say. She was shocked. Stunned. Speechless. Did he mean that? Did he_ really_ mean that? The two Careers stared at each other for what felt like hours. Trying to read each other's minds. Waiting for one another to break the silence. But neither did, and they just stood, voiceless. Like avoxes. Anxious, deep in thought and silent. Glimmer wanted to say something. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. Her mouth was dry- even if she did know what to say, she couldn't say it. Cato broke the silence, at last. "Come on," he said.

He extended his hand to hers, and she hesitantly took it. She almost forgot to pick up her bow and arrow, but Cato pointed at it to remind her. They set off, in silence, the only sound the echo of their footsteps. The tension was awkward, uneasy. Glimmer was so confused. Why would he say all that? _Why?_ Why on earth did this brutal, strong boy want to help this small, weak girl? Was it a trick? That was it. It must have been a trick. They would kill Katniss, and at the last minute, Cato would jump out and kill her. _That must be true. _Glimmer thought. _It's to keep the audience entertained. _Glimmer managed a weak smirk. _Two can play at that game. _

Managing the most genuine, innocent smile she could, Glimmer shuffled herself closer to him. Cato noticed, and gave her a small smile back. Glimmer's smile was so wide that it was hurting her cheeks. Her face dropped. She needed more. An idea sparked in her mind, and she gave him a nudge on the shoulder. "I've missed you, you know," she said.

"Yeah," Cato nodded.

"Did you miss me?"

"Yeah, you could say that."

Glimmer nodded, thoughtfully. Sometimes she couldn't understand Cato. He was such a mystery.

"Where did you go?" asked Cato. It was a harsher tone than he intended.

She bit her lip. Lying to Cato wasn't easy. "Oh, you know… Just hunting."

"You were gone a while," Cato noted.

"Yeah… Oh, I heard a scream before. Was that you?"

"Probably," he nodded. He stopped in his tracks, and rubbed the back of his neck. He sighed as he noted that it was still bleeding. "God…"

Glimmer bit her lip, and put a blonde strand of hair behind her ear. "Still bad?"

Cato scoffed. "What do you think?" He showed her his bloody palm.

"God…" Glimmer barely whispered. She set herself down on the ground "Come here."

Cato sat next to her. Glimmer used her fingertips to retrieve her jacket sleeve, and dabbed it cautiously against Cato's neck wound. He flinched a little at first, but he later calmed down. She dabbed until the blood around the wound had gone. Then, she lifted some leaves off the ground, and held them to the wound. "Now, it's not the best bandage," she said. "But it will do."

"Glimmer Sparks, you're my hero." Cato smiled. Glimmer gave a small giggle. For a moment, she had forgotten how brutal and vicious Cato was. How he was going to kill her, or how she was going to kill him. How they were in a horrible place. And for a moment, it felt like they were the only two people in the world. Their gaze held, and their smiles faded. Waiting for one another to look away, but neither did. Though deep inside, it was a good feeling.

Gently, Cato brushed his knuckles against Glimmer's cheek. Glimmer smiled, and closed her eyes. His touch was light, and smooth. Relaxing. Comforting. Just what Glimmer needed. When he stopped, Glimmer rested her head against his chest, and he ran his fingers through her hair. They both tried to hide their smiles from each other. What they were doing was wrong. They were not supposed to do this, not now. They were supposed to be fighting each other. They were supposed to hate each other. But, no. These two teenagers stayed by each other's side. Happy.

But the Gamemakers were not happy.


	11. Chapter 11

The Gamemakers were silent. In the vast, bright room- full of buttons that could end a tribute's life in two seconds flat- they sat, completely distracted from their work. Every single set of eyes watched the screen intensely, that focused directly on the two Careers who were still together after all this time. Seneca Crane chewed nervously on his thumbnail, a bad habit of his that he had tried to dispose of. He then stroked his magnificent beard, briefly, before finally lowering his eyes to a control panel. A dark skinned woman dressed the white uniform sat in front of it, her fingertips placed upon the surface. Completely still, just like many of the other Gamemakers. Their eyes were so focused on the screen that no-one seemed to notice that Seneca was shaking. Eventually, he released a sigh, and pulled himself together. "Any ideas?" he asked, to no-one in particular, raising his hands in the air in a questionable matter.

The silence returned. Most of the Gamemakers were not listening to him. No eyes were focused on him. It was if the screen was the only thing in the world. It was as if the Gamemakers were waiting for something to happen, even though they were in control of everything that happened. Seneca's eyes searched the room. Some of the Gamemakers had their eyes narrowed, thoughtfully. He wished that he knew what was going through their minds. He wished that he could just understand why they were so captivated by the two tributes on the screen. They needed to continue with their work, otherwise Seneca would lose his position as Head Gamemaker. Or he would lose something else.

Seneca blinked, astounded that still no-one had spoken up. A sigh escaped his lips, and he lowered himself until his head was practically resting on the dark skinned woman's shoulder. "Lucia, help me out here," he said.

Lucia's eyes were still gaping at the screen. The fact that two teenagers had stuck together, two _careers_, was fascinating. She had never seen anything like it. Everyone had expected them to be murdering each other by now. The boy from 2 would be strangling the girl from 1 to death. He liked to see people suffer, she thought. He was the strongest Career. Yet there they were, enveloped in each other's arms, together. At first, Lucia thought that it was a game plan. Maybe the boy would turn on the girl when she least expected it. But now it was the final three, and too late for a game plan. Unless he was saving it until the very end, and killing her at the very last minute. Nevertheless, judging by the way they looked now, it didn't look fake. It looked real. Careers were sneaky, Careers were sly. They almost always won the Games. At first, they allied with the other Careers. But then they all turned on each other near the end, and the strongest Career remained. The boy from 2 was certainly the strongest. He had snapped the boy from 3's neck, as if it were just a twig. He was dangerous. He was threatening. Yet now, he was the complete opposite. He looked kind. He looked gentle. A completely different side to him than Lucia had seen before. There was something about the girl, she had noticed. Something about her made him calmer. Something about her made him turn from the murderous beast to the gentle, sweet boy. Lucia's heart beat rapidly in her chest. An idea sparked in her mind. She tried her best not to smile, as she turned around in her chair and looked up at Seneca. "Sir…" she begun. "I have an idea."

* * *

Glimmer awoke in an instant. She always was a light sleeper; the slight whisper could wake her. Her face scrunched as a pounding in her head echoed throughout her mind. She hadn't drunk any water in a while, and was feeling dehydrated. When she set her head back down, instead of finding the ground, her head rested upon a soft, leathered fabric. She set her head up again, to see that she had fallen asleep on Cato's arm. Memories of the Tracker Jacker attack ran through her mind, although her aching brain found it hard to remember. She brushed her fingertips against her forehead, and closed her eyes.

Her whole body froze when she felt a pattering of feet run up her leg. Without a second hesitation, she screamed, and scampered backwards, swatting the bugs swiftly. Cato woke up immediately, running over to her aid. "Glimmer?! What's wrong?!"

Shaking rapidly, she pointed at the direction where she previously sat. "Mutts…"

Cato raised a brow, and then carefully shuffled himself towards them. Glimmer tried to pull him back, but her arm couldn't reach far enough. When Cato saw the insects, he almost laughed. "Ants, Glimmer," he said as he lifted one off the ground to show her. "Just ants."

Hoping that Cato didn't notice her blush, Glimmer nodded and managed a weak smile. Cato brushed the ant off his palm, and clapped his hands together. "Don't worry, Glim," he said, reassuringly. "You're just paranoid. I don't blame you."

Glimmer nodded again. She wasn't very good with words when Cato was around. Her stomach ached, and she wanted to say _something_, but it was so difficult.

A few minutes passed before Glimmer finally built up the courage to speak. "How's your neck?" she asked.

He gave a small shrug in response. Almost if he had forgotten about his wound, or he didn't really care. "Hungry?" he asked.

Glimmer nodded. "I'm really thirsty too."

Cato bit his lip, and then snapped his head up towards the sky. It was as if he had expected a grand feast to immediately parachute down. But there was nothing but a pale orange sunrise that dawned down on them. Glimmer had begun to wonder where Katniss was. It was the longest she had gone without thinking about her. She wanted to get the killing over with, but she couldn't. She needed to spend more time with Cato, so the kill had to be delayed for now.

For all that they knew, Katniss could be dying of starvation by now. Then a cannon would fire, and the two Careers would remain. The thought had been at the back of Glimmer's mind all of this time. She had to stop thinking about it.

She took her bow and arrow, and brought it closer to her chest. The final arrow had lasted days. Even if there was a final fight between all three of them, she would only be able to kill one. Or maybe she would miss, and she wouldn't be able to kill either. She didn't have perfect aim, after all. Glimmer exhaled. The air was warmer than it had previously been, but it was still cold. Her jacket clung tightly to her body, the cold fabric parallel to her cold skin. Her face was like ice, and pressing her sleeve to it gave it temporary heat. She was so lost in her own world, that she barely noticed that Cato had sat next to her. "Cold?" he asked. Glimmer nodded. He smiled. "I'll make a fire," he said, as he rose from the ground.

Before he could run off, Glimmer shouted back at him; "What about her? Katniss, I mean."

"I can take care of myself, don't worry," he smirked. Glimmer narrowed her eyes. That wasn't the answer that she wanted.

"No, I mean-"

"Back in a minute," said Cato. He jogged off, and Glimmer was left alone. She released a sigh, trying to break the endless silence that surrounded her. She hated being alone. It made her feel unsafe. It let her mind wander about the future, and whether or not she would last the night. The answer was no. The Games were drawing to a close, and only one tribute would remain. The training scores ran through Glimmer's mind. Katniss got an eleven. Cato got a ten. Glimmer got a nine. The odds were not in her favor.

When Cato returned, his footsteps were low, but it still made Glimmer jump. Her confidence was dropping and her fear was showing. Cato dropped the firewood, and it made a loud _thump_ as it fell to the ground. Glimmer hadn't realised that she was shivering. Was she that cold? Or was it fear? Something told her that it was the latter. Cato set himself down next to her, and wrapped an arm around her shoulder with a comforting smile. He had expected her to snuggle into him, or at least smile, but she didn't. She stayed sitting, hugging her knees, with a blank expression.

"You okay?" Cato asked.

Glimmer shook her head slightly.

"What's wrong?"

It took Glimmer a few moments before she built up the courage to reply. "Aren't you… Aren't you scared?"

"Scared?" Cato raised an eyebrow. "In what way?"

"Like…" Glimmer exhaled. "The Games are going to be over soon."

"Yeah?"

"And that doesn't affect you?"

Cato sighed. "I try to keep my mind off it."

"How?" Glimmer's voice rose. "How do you do it?"

"I didn't say it was easy, Glimmer. I just keep my mind focused on the important things. Like keeping you safe."

_Keeping you safe. _The words swam around Glimmer's mind. _Keeping you safe, keeping you safe, keeping _you _safe._

"Keeping me safe." Glimmer repeated, testing the words out. "_Me._"

She had so many questions. So many theories. She needed the answers. "Why?" she asked. "Why me?"

Cato opened his mouth to speak, but the words refused to come out. Instead, he bit his lip, and kept his mouth shut. He had so much to say. So much explaining. But he couldn't say anything. _Not here. Not now._

"Why, Cato?" Glimmer repeated, harsher this time. "Why do you care about me so much?"

Tears were threatening to form in Cato's eyes. He couldn't cry. Not now. He had to stay calm, he had to man up. His cheeks grew hotter, and he felt like he could just explode at any moment. And when Cato exploded, it was never a good thing.

When Cato was angry, he was so strong that he could break anything_. Anything. _Even a human being. Anger was the reason for the boy from 3's death. Even though he was innocent, Cato still killed him with no hesitation. He realised later that it was wrong. But at the time, it was just another death. As if it were a normal, everyday stunt. But anger had got the better of Cato, and anger transformed him into a completely different person.

And he did not want to get angry now.

Glimmer's emerald eyes pierced right into Cato, directly into his soul. It made him feel uncomfortable. If she were any other person, he would have snapped by now. But this was Glimmer, and the situation was completely different. He could barely look at her, and his cheeks were now burning. He wanted to get out of there.

"Why do you care about me?" Glimmer's voice was weak, but still as firm as before. "Are you just waiting until the final two? Do you just want to kill Katniss, and then finish me as the grand finale? Is it because I'm small? Weak? Frail? _Dumb?_"

"You're not dumb, Glimmer," said Cato. "And you're not small either. Definitely not weak or frail." Cato looked her directly in the eye. "And I'm not going to kill you. I swear on my life. I will protect you, no matter what. No questions. Okay?"

"But-"

"No questions," snarled Cato. He lowered his tone again, and attempted a smile. "Right. Let's light this fire."

Silently, Cato took the firewood, and begun to light the fire. Still, the words echoed throughout Glimmer's mind. _You're not dumb. I will protect you, no matter what. _It still didn't make sense. Cato never answered her questions, and it seemed like she couldn't ask any more. Although, she decided it would be best to stay quiet, since she didn't want him to get mad at her.

If he got mad at her, then the alliance would be over. The alliance was precious to her. Cato was much stronger than her. Whether Cato was going to protect her or not, she knew for sure that she would not become the victor.

After a while, Glimmer lay next to the fire, eyes focused on every flicker. It was her method of keeping her mind of things, and staying focused on what was relevant. After a while, she felt eyes watching her. She turned to Cato, and just noticed him look away at the last second. She wished that she knew what was going through his mind. If she did, then everything would be so much clearer to her. Then she would be calmer, and understand what was happening. All she wanted was to be able to connect to Cato, and know exactly what his plan was.

Glimmer shivered. Even near the fires warmth, the breeze overpowered the heat. Cato placed a hand on hers, and rubbed it comfortingly. His smile was small, but it was still noticeable. Glimmer tried to smile back, but when she did, it didn't look convincing. Cato brushed his fingertips against her knuckles. As comforting as it was, all Glimmer wanted to do was slap him away, and get some answers. But then Glimmer felt like she was getting paranoid, and gazed back at the fire, getting back into focus. After a while, she closed her eyes, and inhaled and exhaled slowly. The warm air felt calming in her nostrils. It reminded her of the fireplace back home.

Home. _Home. _Glimmer smiled at the thought of it. Hot cocoa and brownies on a Sunday evening. Homemade brownies, that her mother would help her make. On a cold winters day, Glimmer and her mother would sit in their pyjamas, relaxed, the only sound being the fire's soft crackling.

Glimmer opened her eyes, and she was back in the arena. Back with Cato, back outside, back in the nightmare. She hadn't released how much she missed home until now. She would trade anything to be back there now. Tears began to form in her eyes, and she wiped them away, swiftly, before Cato could see. Thankfully, he didn't notice, and was too busy staring at the pastel orange sky.

Releasing a heavy sigh, Glimmer took Cato's hand, and rose from the ground. Before Cato could ask what she was doing, Glimmer said; "We need to get going. We need to find her. Quickly."

Cato nodded, slightly. As if he didn't entirely want to find her, even though he had dedicated the whole time in the arena to planning to kill her. As if he no longer cared. Yet he was still the one to lead the way, as Glimmer followed close behind.

After a few minutes of walking, Cato stopped in his tracks. Glimmer stopped, and was about to ask him why, but then she heard it. Faint, but still there. Right there.

Footsteps.


	12. Chapter 12

The sun blinded their eyes, but Cato and Glimmer could still see her silhouette. The dark haired girl, the girl on fire, staggered her way past the trees. She was too focused to notice the two careers. Her body was hunched, and her grip was firm upon her leg. She was wincing in pain, and let out a few frustrated shouts. She tried her best not to let the tears flow, but it was clear that she was struggling to stay calm.

An idea sparked in Glimmer's mind, and she raised her bow and arrow. A millisecond before she could shoot, Cato's hand locked onto hers, and kept the bow and arrow in place. "No," he hissed. "Not yet."

Glimmer gazed back up at Katniss. No, she couldn't let her live any longer. She needed to kill her. She wanted to get it over with. She needed to avenge Marvel's death. She needed to prove herself. She needed to finish her off.

Without a second hesitation, Glimmer wriggled out of Cato's grasp, and released the arrow. Katniss ducked just in time, a gasp escaping her mouth. The arrow narrowly missed her head. That was it. Glimmer was weaponless. Now it was certain that she would die.

When Glimmer looked back up, Katniss was already running away. Her hand was still pressed firmly against her leg, and it caused her to trip a numerous amount of times. Cato was already hot on her tail, a large smirk painted across his face. Shouting things like; "I'm coming to get you!" and "Not so brave now, fire girl!" When Cato smirked back at Glimmer, she faked a smile. She was supposed to be enjoying this. But with no weapons, and no plan B, it wasn't exactly fun. After running for half a mile, Katniss tumbled over, landing face first in a pile of wet grass. She spluttered and coughed, turning on her back, trying to get back up, but Cato already had his sword to her throat.

"Not so tough now, huh, 12?" Cato sneered, his foot pressed severely to her stomach. Katniss stared directly into his eyes. Trying to understand how he can enjoy this. How he can enjoy having a sixteen year old girl at his mercy. Her eyes turned to Glimmer, who was panting heavily.

"Traitor!" managed Katniss. Glimmer's eyes widened, and her mouth dropped. Cato narrowed his eyes, and glared directly at Glimmer. Without looking away, he coldly said to Katniss: "What?"

Katniss didn't even need to answer. Cato's sword had already left Katniss' throat, and the blade was now directed at Glimmer's nose. Glimmer stared at Cato, eyes full of fear. The same way she had stared at him when he was yelling at her for killing the girl from 5. When it was his kill, not hers. But this time it was serious. Cato wasn't going to apologize. He was angry. Anger overpowered Cato. It crushed every tiny emotion he had. It took control. If anger could cause him to yell at her, it could easily kill her.

Glimmer's lips trembled. This couldn't happen. He couldn't do this to her. After all that had happened between them, after everything that they had been though, it couldn't end like this. They were supposed to stick together, no matter what. They had to. But no-one was more determined to win the Games than Cato. He loved winning. He would do anything to win. _Anything. _Even if that meant killing her.

A scream from Katniss distracted them both. She swiped her arm, rapidly, removing the ants that had crawled up her arm. After removing every last one, she released a sigh of relief.

"What was all that about?" asked Cato.

"Mutts." Katniss stated. The very word made Glimmer's skin crawl. "The ants are mutations. They devour flesh- like my leg. Or worse…"

Within an instant, the sword was back at Katniss' throat. "What's the 'worse' mean?" questioned Cato.

Katniss gulped. "They…" Katniss paused. The metal blade pushed deeper, threateningly. Katniss could barely breathe. "They remove emotions. They take away everything you are. Until you're just a bloodthirsty killer."

Glimmer's mouth grew wider. She remembered when the ants crawled over her skin. How she instantly assumed they were Mutts. She remembered how Cato reassured her that they were just ants. But they weren't. She was right. Her instincts served her well. Glimmer gazed up at Cato. He was glaring down at the floor, exhaling heavily. Realizing what he had become. _A monster. A ruthless, bloodthirsty monster. _And that was all he ever would be. Nothing could change that. Even if he were to become a calm, peaceful person, the memories would still haunt him. How he killed innocent people. How he took no mercy. And how murderous he was. He couldn't bare it.

It was proof. Proof that emotions could destroy you. They had destroyed Cato. They had done the one thing he didn't want anyone to ever do- change him. They had changed him into someone who he wasn't. He wasn't ruthless. He wasn't bloodthirsty. He was Cato. An eighteen year old boy, who had previously lived a normal, peaceful life back in District 2. However now he was viewed as a cruel, murderous teenager, who would do anything to get blood on his hands. But he wasn't that. He knew that he wasn't that.

When Cato's sword left Katniss' neck, and his foot left her stomach, she was too scared to stand. The two girls' eyes focused on Cato, wondering what he was going to do. They had expected him to lash out. Swear and cuss at the sky and then murder them both. Instead, he stood, staring at the ground, silently. Glimmer and Katniss exchanged looks. Something had to happen. _Something._

Eventually, Cato walked over to Glimmer, and laced his hands through hers. "I promised I'd protect you," he said. Glimmer nodded. "And I'm a man of my word." He released her hands, and then slowly walked over to Katniss. She shuffled away slightly, but Cato raised his hands, signalling that he wasn't going to hurt her. He kneeled down, and clasped his hands around hers.

"Look," he began. "I'm sorry about Peeta."

Katniss' eyes widened at his name. Why did he feel sorry for her?

Cato took a breath. "I know how you feel. I know how I'd feel if I lost…"

While rubbing his fingers against his brow, he snuck a glance at Glimmer. Her eyes were wide, confused, worried. Concerned about what would happen. She was shaking. She had to stay calm, she had to control herself, but she couldn't.

After a few moments silence, Cato stood, and headed back towards Glimmer. He took her hand, and placed his sword firm in her palm. Without letting go, he gave her something like a reassuring smile.

It took a moment for Glimmer to understand what he was doing. When it clicked, Glimmer rapidly shook her head. She could barely speak. "No," she managed. Even then, her voice was barely a whisper. "No!" she repeated, clearer.

"Go on," Cato swallowed the tears back. "Do it."

"No," Glimmer repeated. Tears were streaming down her cheeks now. Her face was hot, and she wanted to scream, but she didn't have the power to.

"Look," said Cato. "Katniss is dying. Her wound is too deep. She'll be gone in a few hours, and you'll be the victor. That's what you've always wanted, right?"

She was still shaking her head. At first, yes, it was what she wanted. But what she didn't want was to lose Cato. She couldn't lose him. If Cato died, then a part of her would die as well. And that part of her was all that mattered. It wouldn't matter if she killed Katniss, or not. She couldn't go on with life without Cato.

"Anyway, if I won, who would I have to go back to? Hmm? My mom? My dad? They don't need me. After what I've become, who really needs me, huh?"

"I do," whispered Glimmer. "I need you. More than anyone."

Cato shook his head. "No. You don't." He pressed his lips against her forehead. They remained there for a while, before Cato pulled away. "I need you. To stay alive."

A sob escaped Glimmer's mouth. "What am I going to do without you?"

Cato shrugged. "You'll find someone. And he'll look after you, and protect you. You'll cope."

Glimmer's eyes squeezed shut. More tears dropped. She couldn't stop them. As much as she wanted to stay strong, it was impossible.

"Glimmer Sparks," Cato smiled. "Victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."

Glimmer shook her head. "Cato Hadley. Victor of the 74th Annual Hunger Games."

Cato released a laugh, beneath his sobs. The pair smiled at each other. They had gone through a lot. Tears and tantrums. Laughs and love. Throughout the whole of it, they had stuck together. No matter what happened. They protected each other, saved each other, cared for each other. When everyone else turned on each other, they were the two who worked together. After everything that had happened, all the deaths, all the destruction, there they were. Smiling. Because they had each other. Because they finally released how the others presence made them happy.

They had one goal. Kill Katniss. That was how they were brought together. The hate for one girl was the reason why the two careers stuck together. If it wasn't for that one goal, then they would have never been brought together. They would have never connected. They would have never realised how much they cared for each other. And they would have killed each other in a heartbeat. But because of that one goal, they were together. Trying to save one another's lives.

Cato gave one last smile to Glimmer. He then whispered something that she couldn't quite understand, before digging the sword's point deep into his stomach. Cato groaned, and Glimmer screamed. Before he could fall to the ground, Glimmer wrapped her arms around him, and lowered him cautiously to the ground. He was trembling, unable to control his body. Blood dribbled down his t-shirt, and Glimmer tried to clear it away, but more continued to spill out. Cato opened his mouth to speak, but the more he tried, it became hopeless. Glimmer's endless sobs developed into screams. She screamed until her throat was dry, but even then, the anger and sorrow had not escaped her body.

"No!" she screeched. "Please!"

A sob escaped Cato's mouth. Tears fell from his once beautiful, blue eyes. "I… I'm scared."

It was at that point that Glimmer realized. Cato was never scared. He had never admitted to being scared once. So at this point, it meant that he was really scared. Scared of dying. Even if it was what he wanted.

"It's okay, Cato," Glimmer whispered, trying to calm down a little. Although the sobs in her voice were still audible. "It'll be okay."

Cato looked directly into Glimmer's eyes. Her emerald eyes were wide. Her braided blonde hair was coming loose, and Cato managed to put a strand of it behind her ear. He then brushed his fingertips against her cheekbone. Glimmer gave him a reassuring smile. She had to hide her pain for now.

"There was something I've wanted to say…" Cato coughed. "Something I've wanted to say ever since we met…"

"That doesn't matter, Cato-" said Glimmer.

"No! Let me say it…" he spluttered.

Glimmer nodded. She was terrified. Terrified of losing Cato. She couldn't accept the fact that he was dying.

"I…" Cato groaned. He coughed. He spluttered. He was losing air, struggling to breathe. He tried to force the words from his throat. "I…" He took one final gasp. But even that wasn't enough.

Instead of hearing the words, Glimmer heard nothing. The words never left Cato's mouth. And nothing would ever leave Cato's mouth again.

**A/N: Wow, I actually cried while writing that. I suppose listening to sad music while writing doesn't help either... Only one (maybe two) chapter(s) left of this! Well, it's been a rollercoaster, hasn't it? I'll leave my 'big speech' for the final chapter. I'd just like to thank you all for reading, and your lovely reviews. c: I love you all! Now, I'm just going off to cry because of my stupid abilities to make myself cry by writing! Am I ****_that_**** bad? Hahaha, well, see you all soon! Review, if you like! **


	13. Chapter 13

A sob was the only thing that Glimmer could manage. Her jaw trembled, and whenever she tried to speak, she only managed a small choke.

"No!" she screamed, after a few minutes of fighting her tears. "No!"

Anger built up inside of her. Her whole system was full of rage. Fury eased into sorrow, as she began to wail and weep like a small, weak child. The games had taken away the one thing that she had. The only thing that mattered. And she had lost it. Forever. Breathing heavily, she positioned her head against the spot where Cato's heartbeat once was. Silence. The one thing that Glimmer was scared of- silence. The feeling of loneliness and danger. The eeriness of what lied ahead. But there was no-one to protect her of what lied ahead anymore. Because the Games had ruined that. Now, Glimmer was alone. And she resented it.

Glimmer steadied herself after a while, and her breathing returned to somewhat normal. She lifted her head, and stared into Cato's blue, dead eyes. They looked past her, staring up into the sky. Glimmer's lip trembled, and she was sure that she was going to break down again. But she took a deep breath, and gave Cato a small smile. She knew that he was in a better place now. He was happy, peaceful, and away from this horrible land. He didn't have to worry about protecting her anymore. He didn't have to fight anymore. His goal was to save Glimmer. And he succeeded.

She took a gulp, and the tears started flowing again. He died for _her. _He died to protect _her. _If it wasn't for her, then none of this would have happened. He would be alive. He would still be fighting. It was _her _fault. If she had never got involved with that boy, then she would be dead, and he would be victor. And she knew how much Cato wanted to be victor. He was strong, tough, a role model. He would have easily conquered them all. But no, that couldn't happen, because Glimmer had got involved, and killed the boy she loved.

_Everything, _she thought. _I've lost everything. _She managed to keep her sobs locked in her throat, but the tears continued to fall. She looked weak. She looked frail. She had to stop. If she was going to be victor, she needed to calm down. After considering for a minute, she finally wiped her tears, and pressed her lips to Cato's. They were cold, lifeless, but they were still Cato's. When she pulled away, she thought for a moment that he would bounce back to life. As if true loves kiss would save him. But she realised that it wasn't a fairytale, and Cato remained lying still, unmoved. The hope drained from her eyes, and a sigh escaped her lips. When she stood, her eyes unable to leave Cato's corpse. She closed her eyes, and tilted her head away. She didn't want to see him anymore, not like this. She wanted him back, the old, bright Cato that she once knew. But she had to accept the fact that he was gone, and there was nothing she could do.

"Now you know how I felt," a voice remarked.

Glimmer glared back at Katniss, who was still lying on the ground, eyes closed tight in agony. Her fists were clenched, trying to fight the pain. Her leg was worse, the bone as clear as day. Glimmer wasn't sure how long she had left, but she knew by the look on her face, that it wasn't long. A part of her felt sorry for Katniss, however the majority was full of wrath, and hatred. Perhaps she wasn't responsible for Cato's death, but there was no-one else to blame. And killing Katniss was the thing that brought them together. If they were not together, then Cato would have survived. Also, Glimmer wanted to finish Cato's quest.

"What?" Glimmer replied, her voice cold and hollow.

"When Peeta died." Katniss' face scrunched up, and she winced as more blood spewed out. "It destroys you, doesn't it?"

Even though her hatred for Katniss was still visible upon her face, Glimmer nodded. It did destroy her. She would never be the same again.

Katniss gave Glimmer something like a smile. The pain was still visible in her eyes, but her fists had loosened slightly. "It hurts, doesn't it? It aches your heart, and you blame yourself. You blame yourself for doing nothing to stop it. And you just want take their place."

Glimmer nodded again. Everything that Katniss was saying was true. It did ache. She did blame herself. She did want to take his place. Katniss knew exactly how Glimmer felt.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Katniss took a sudden, shaky gasp, and trembled as she became weaker and weaker. Just as Glimmer felt the chance to sympathise with the girl who she had wanted dead, Katniss' breathing became unsteady. Glimmer's eyes widened as Katniss Everdeen, the girl on fire, became frail and breathless. As Katniss inhaled one last time, her eyes reopened, and glanced back at Glimmer. Her lips curved briefly- her eyes giving a small glint of 'congratulations'- before she exhaled and her eyes became lifeless. A cannon fired.

For a moment, Glimmer stared at the dead body of Katniss Everdeen. She had succeeded. Katniss was dead. But still, she didn't feel as happy as she intended to before.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Claudius Templesmith's voice boomed throughout the arena. "I give you, this year's victor! From District 1- Glimmer Sparks!"

As hovercrafts flew into view, Glimmer froze and shook her head. They were going to take her away from him. She couldn't leave him. If he was in her position, she knew that he would never leave her. Without a second consideration, she ran towards Cato, knelt down, and wrapped her arms around his head. The rope ladder flew down next to her, but she shook her head no.

"No!" she declared. "I'm not leaving him!"

To her surprise, three strong looking men dressed in white uniform- peacekeepers- climbed rapidly down the ladder. When they reached the ground, two pairs of arms gripped Glimmer's, and started pulling her away. As much as she fought them, slapped them, scratched them, bit them, it was no use. The third man reached for the corpse of Cato, and Glimmer immediately attempted to kick him harshly in the leg. She missed, however, and the man continued to carry the body away on a separate hovercraft. Glimmer screamed at the top of her lungs, and carried on fighting against the peacekeepers that gripped her arms. The two men muttered to each other, and Glimmer thought that she heard the word 'drug', but she blacked out before she could hear the rest.

Glimmer awoke with an endless pain in her left shoulder blade. She lay gracelessly on the floor of a wide, metal walled room. Her eyes searched for a door, and she found one behind her, with a shatterproof window. She scrambled to her feet, and ran towards the door, smashing hard against its metal.

"Bring him back!" she yelled. "Please! Bring him back!"

She looked outside of the window. A few peacekeepers were having a strict conversation a few meters away. She banged harder, to get their attention. One of them seemed to notice, and she shot him a desperate look. The peacekeeper approached the window, and for a moment, Glimmer thought that he was going to let her out. But instead, a panel slid across the window, blocking Glimmer's view, and blocking her out from the rest of the world.

Eyes full of tears, Glimmer turned her back against the door, and allowed herself to slide to the ground. She covered her palms against her eyes, and let herself sob into her hands. She sobbed until her eyes were red and stinging. An hour must have passed, when she heard footsteps approaching. Carefully, she stood, and took a few steps back. The door swiftly opened, and there stood a thin woman in sharp glasses. Her hair was in a professional high bun, and her lips were curved into a narrow smile.

"Glimmer Sparks," she said. Her voice was too soft to be from the Capitol. "What a pleasure it is to meet you."

Glimmer narrowed her eyes at her. It wasn't a pleasure to meet this- whatever she was. She was in no mood to chat.

The woman clasped her hands together. "My name is Lilith Grimes. I am here to give you some answers."

"Where is he?" Glimmer's voice was low, demanding. Her fists were clenched, and her teeth were gritted. "Tell me where he is."

"All in good time, my dear," smiled Lilith. She didn't seem concerned. Not in the slightest.

"Where are Cashmere and Gloss?"

Lilith sighed. "That was quite a show you put on there."

"Answer me," snarled Glimmer.

"I think in the future you should be a little more… cautious with your actions."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean," Lilith's expression didn't seem as confident as it was before. "You should be a little wary of how to plan to establish your arrangements."

Glimmer thought back to when she fought against the peacekeepers. It was a blur, and she only remembered the key points. Victor. Hovercraft. Ladder. Refusing. Screaming. Kicking. Drugged. Then she was locked away in the metallic room, dazed and confused. This had never happened before. No-one had ever refused to leave the arena. They couldn't wait to leave it. But Glimmer had refused, and that had never happened before. And it should have never happened at all.

"Where are Cashmere and Gloss?" repeated Glimmer.

"If I knew that, I'd tell you."

"No," said Glimmer. "You know. I can tell."

Lilith released a breath. "Look, Glimmer, that information is classified. If I told you, then it would be-"

"Tell me!" screamed Glimmer. "Tell me or I'll kill you!" Her voice was shaky, and she felt like she was going to lose it.

"Ms Sparks, I cannot just give you information whenever you please," said Lilith. "If I could, I would, but unfortunately there are rules."

"I don't care about rules!" Glimmer's voice had become desperate, strained. "I've just been through hell. I could have died so many times in the past few days. All I want is _him._ Is that too much to ask?"

Lilith gave Glimmer a sympathised smile, though it seemed a little forced. "I can understand what you must be going through."

"No you don't," said Glimmer. "And you never will. You will never have to go through life-or-death situations, being starved to death, losing the one you love…"

"I can promise that everything will be ok from now on," interrupted Lilith.

"OK?" Glimmer widened her eyes. "OK? You think that I'll just be able to move on?"

"Well-"

"No! I will never, ever, _ever_ be able to just move on from this. This will haunt me for the rest of my life. For as long as I live, I will never ever forget this."

Silence filled the room. Lilith opened her mouth to argue back, but she decided against it. There was no point arguing with Glimmer. Not after what she was capable of.

"What answers can you give me then?" Glimmer eventually said.

"You will stay in this room for another few hours. You will be delivered food and water. I hope you like sandwiches. Afterwards, a peacekeeper will collect you, and take you to be prepped for your interview."

"Why do I need to stay in here?"

"To keep you contained."

"To keep me safe?"

"If that's how you prefer to look at it."

Glimmer blinked. All of this was too much. She was confused. She was tired. Her vision was blurred. She just wanted Cato back. It was all she asked for. But instead, she was forced to stay in a lonely, empty room until it was time for her to be made beautiful again and broadcasted to the world. She didn't want to be interviewed. It was too early, she wasn't ready.

"You might want to rest before your interview," suggested Lilith.

"Yes," agreed Glimmer. "I will."

Lilith bowed her head in farewell, and then turned to leave the room. But before she did, she stopped, and without turning back to Glimmer, she said; "Oh, and before your interview, President Snow would like a word with you." Then she left, closing the door behind her.

* * *

**A/N: And... that's it! I finished! Wow. I don't usually like finishing things, since I don't like endings. But I suppose it feels good to finish this, because it gets a little weight off my chest. Originally, this story was going to have a different ending. Well, multiple endings, I suppose. One version was where I killed Glimmer too... but I felt like it would be too predictable. Another version was where I would make Cato kill Katniss instead of Peeta, but then it would have been over much later, and I wouldn't have had the connection between the two girls near the end. Originally, Cato was to die much earlier, and then Glimmer would have had a more determined reason to kill Katniss. But I felt that we already had that with Marvel from the very beginning, and I wanted more Glato in my story. **

**I was originally going to do a sequel for this. But, I don't think that it's necessary, and it leads minds to wonder what happens next. For now, I am focusing on OUAT fics.**

**Guess what? I'm listening to a sad song again. Great. I've got to stop doing that! Stop getting emotional, Mai! I suppose sad songs help me to write... Especially this chapter. I write such sad stuff. Why can't everyone just be happy? Because I'm too emotional. That's why.**

**Anyway, I hope to see you all in the next fic! Goodbye!**


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